Research Publications (Food Safety)

Atrazine (ATZ) is an agricultural pesticide for controlling field weeds. ATZ accumulates in many crops, posing high risks to crop production and food safety. Characterizing one of the novel rice MT genes named Oryza sativa atrazine-responsive methyltransferase (OsARM) showed that the expression of OsARM was associated with DNA demethylation (hypomethylation) in its promoter region.

The Staphylococcus aureus bacteria is a Gram-positive, immobile, non-spore bacterium, with catalase and positive coagulase, among other characteristics. It is responsible for important infections caused in the population and for hospital infections. Because of that many strategies are being developed to combat the resistance of microorganisms to drugs, in recent times, chalcones have been studied for this purpose.

Bacillus cereus foodborne intoxications and toxicoinfections are on a rise. Usually, symptoms are self-limiting but occasionally hospitalization is necessary. Severe intoxications with the emetic Bacillus cereus toxin cereulide, which is notably resistant heat and acid during cooking, can cause acute liver failure and encephalopathy.

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are the causative agents of a potentially lethal paralytic disease targeting cholinergic nerve terminals. Multiple BoNT serotypes exist, with types A, B and E being the main cause of human botulism. Their extreme toxicity has been exploited for cosmetic and therapeutic uses to treat a wide range of neuromuscular disorders.

Identifying patients who can gain minimal clinically important difference (MCID) in active motor function in the affected upper extremity (UE) after a botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) injection for post-stroke spasticity is important. Eighty-eight participants received a BoNT-A injection in the affected UE. Two outcome measures, Fugl–Meyer Assessment Upper Extremity (FMA-UE) and Motor Activity Log (MAL), were assessed at pre-injection and after 24 rehabilitation sessions.

Antimicrobial-resistant bacteria causing intractable and even fatal infections are a major health concern. Resistant bacteria residing in the intestinal tract of healthy individuals present a silent threat because of frequent transmission via conjugation and transposition. Plasmids harboring quinolone resistance genes are increasingly detected in clinical isolates worldwide.

Journal of Food Science, EarlyView. Medicine food homologous (MFH) plants provide therapeutic and health care effects through diet. Thus, a risk assessment system for hazardous ingredient residues is urgently required to ensure their safe use.

Grafting typically offers a shortcut to breed tree orchards throughout a multidimensional space of traits. Despite an overwhelming spectrum of rootstock-mediated effects on scion traits observed across several species, the exact nature and mechanisms underlying the rootstock-mediated effects on scion traits in cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) plants often remain overlooked.

Recently reported peptidomimetics with increased resistance to trypsin were shown to sensitize priority multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacteria to novobiocin and rifampicin. To further optimize proteolytic stability, β-amino acid-containing derivatives of these compounds were prepared, resulting in three dioctanoyl ultrashort tetrabasic β-peptides (dUSTBβPs).

Pesticides are used indiscriminately all over the world to protect crops from pests and pathogens. If they are used in excess, they contaminate the soil and water bodies and negatively affect human health and the environment. However, bioremediation is the most viable option to deal with these pollutants, but it has certain limitations. Therefore, harnessing the role of microbial biosurfactants in pesticide remediation is a promising approach.

The disease caused by Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) remains a significant public health challenge globally, but the incidence of human STEC infections in Australia remains relatively low. This study examined the virulence characteristics and diversity of STEC isolates in the state of New South Wales between December 2017 and May 2020.

The emergence and dissemination of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) is a growing concern to animal and public health. However, little is known about the spread of CRE in food and livestock and its potential transmission to humans. To identify CRE strains from different origins and sources, 53 isolates were cultured from 760 samples including retail meat products, patients, and porcine excrement.

Soil contamination with heavy metals (HMs) is a serious concern for the developing world due to its non-biodegradability and significant potential to damage the ecosystem and associated services. Rapid industrialization and activities such as mining, manufacturing, and construction are generating a huge quantity of toxic waste which causes environmental hazards.

Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as one of the dominant nosocomial human pathogens associated with high morbidity and mortality globally. Increased incidences of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (CRAB) have resulted in an enormous socioeconomic burden on health-care systems. Here, we report the genotypic and phenotypic characterization of novel ST1816 and ST128 variants in A. baumannii strains belonging to International clone II (GC2) with capsule types KL1:OCL8 and KL3:OCL1d from India.

Author(s): Yuanmao Yao, Lili Shi, Wei Xiao, Sixin Guo, Saiya Liu, Haoyang Li, Shuang Zhang

Author(s): Nabil A. Ibrahim, Faten H.H. Abdellatif, Mohamed S. Hasanin, Mohamed M. Abdellatif

Author(s): Fangting Bai, Du Guo, Yueyi Wang, Shanbo Zhang, Jiahui Li, Kangkang Zhi, Chao Shi, Xiaodong Xia

Author(s): Daniela T. Mengarda Buosi, Jaqueline O. de Moraes, Yifan Cheng, Rachel A. Cheng, Carmem I. Moraru, Bruno A.M. Carciofi Pulsed light (PL) is a nonthermal treatment that kills microorganisms by exposing them to short-duration pulses of high-intensity broad-spectrum light. This study evaluated the PL inactivation of different serotypes of Salmonella enterica subsp.

Author(s): Shenmin Kang, Xuejiao Li, Zeyu Xing, Xue Liu, Xiangyang Bai, Yanpeng Yang, Du Guo, Xiaodong Xia, Chunling Zhang, Chao Shi

Author(s): Daniela Ruíz-De Anda, Luz E. Casados-Vázquez, César Ozuna

Author(s): Ho Seon Lee, Nayeong Kim, Sea C. Min An intervention technology combining in-package atmospheric discharge cold plasma (CP) treatment with ultraviolet (UV)-activated zinc oxide (ZnO) treatment was developed to decontaminate steamed fish cakes in commercial plastic packages.

Author(s): Junyi Hu, Zhe Hu, Yandi Wei, Ming Zhang, Senlin Wang, Qi Tong, Honglei Sun, Juan Pu, Jinhua Liu, Yipeng Sun

Author(s): Pawel Pohl, Anna Dzimitrowicz, Piotr Cyganowski, Piotr Jamroz

Author(s): Jian Sun, Fan Yu, Tao Wang, Jianchun Bian, Zongping Liu, Hui Zou

Author(s): Alixander Mattay Pawluk, Dabin Kim, Young Hun Jin, KwangCheol Casey Jeong, Jae-Hyung Mah